The quintessential summer sandwich… made vegan!
Just because you don’t eat meat / are vegan doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a BLT this summer.
And yes, I guess by definition, you can’t enjoy a traditional BLT because the B in a BLT stands for bacon and bacon is decidedly not vegan.
But if we rethink our definition of bacon… stick with me… then just maybe we can BLT just like our omnivore friends.
Today, we are entering the world of coconut bacon.
Stay! I promise it’s good. In fact, it’s SO good. I’ve been using the leftovers all week on… everything.
Coconut bacon is kind of crazy because the texture is just… very bacony. It’s crisp, kind of chewy, nice and fatty, and actually really flavorful (think: salty, smoky, and sweet) if you do it right.
And you know we like to do it right here at Fooduzzi.
A lot of the coconut bacon recipes I’ve seen (and tried) have called for a little ingredient called liquid smoke, but I do not like it. Feel free to try it here if you so desire, but I really don’t like the artificial smoke flavor. I feel like we get enough of the smokiness from the use of smoked paprika, an ingredient I always have because I love it on roasted sweet potatoes, so that’s our only “smoke source” here.
I also see a lot of coconut bacon recipes getting roasted. And like… I don’t know about you, but I really don’t want to turn on my oven when it’s 90 degrees outside. So I decided to see if I could make my coconut bacon on the stove, and it worked great! Just make sure to keep:
- The pieces moving constantly
- An eye on the bacon at all times because it burns quick
- The heat in the medium-low range so things don’t get too crispy too quick
Of course, we’ve got our other normal BLT ingredients here –– crisp iceberg lettuce, fresh salt + pepper tomatoes, creamy vegan mayo, and golden fried bread. You can’t mess with a classic too much, right?
So good. So summery. So easy.
Enjoy, friend!
PrintEasy Vegan BLT
A super easy vegan spin on the classic summer sandwich: the BLT! It comes together in just minutes, and you’ll have extra vegan bacon for more vegan BLTs all week long!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 1 sandwich
- Category: Sandwich
- Method: Pan Fry
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
VEGAN COCONUT BACON:
- 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil (like grapeseed)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 and 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut chips
FOR EACH SANDWICH:
- 1/2 tablespoon neutral oil
- 1/2 tablespoon vegan butter (or more oil)
- 2 slices of bread (I used sourdough)
- vegan mayo
- iceberg lettuce, shredded or separated into leaves
- sliced tomato, salt and peppered
Instructions
- COCONUT BACON: In a medium bowl, combine your soy sauce, oil, maple syrup, tomato paste, and smoked paprika. Whisk to combine.
- Add your coconut chips and toss to coat completely. Allow to marinade for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, line a large plate or cookie pan with paper towels.
- Heat a large pan over medium-low heat. Working in two batches, scoop out some of the coconut bacon and add it to your pan, leaving any additional liquid in the bowl to discard.
- Cook your bacon, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until golden. If certain pieces start to get darker than others, you can use tongs to remove them and place them on your paper towel-lined plate. Try to keep the pieces of coconut separated as they cook. They’ll crisp further as they cool.
- Repeat with your second batch of coconut bacon, leaving any excess liquid in the bottom of the bowl to discard.
- In a separate large pan, heat your oil and vegan butter over medium heat. When melted and your pan is hot, add your bread, and toast until deeply golden, about 3 minutes. Remove and allow to cool on a cooling rack.
- ASSEMBLE: Liberally spread both of the non-toasted sides of your bread with vegan mayo. Add your lettuce, tomato, and a large handful (or two!) of your coconut bacon. Top with your other mayo-spread piece of bread and enjoy!
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